All 64 anti-doping tests from the IRB Under 21 World Championship in Scotland have returned negative.
The tournament, won by an impressive New Zealand outfit captained by Rugby World Cup player Ben Atiga, is the latest IRB event to record clean anti-doping results.
The tests were conducted across the 12 teams competing, over the duration of the tournament with all results, except those from tests conducted on the final match day, returned to the IRB within 48 hours of the samples arriving at the WADA-accredited laboratory in Cologne, Germany.
This quick turn-around time is a recent enhancement to the IRB's anti-doping programme and allows for an expedited judicial process following any adverse analytical findings.
The majority of players randomly selected for testing at this level are familiar with the doping control process, having either been tested before, or having attended one of the educational seminars now delivered at the start of the IRB Under 19 World Championships.
The IRB's Anti Doping Manager, Tim Ricketts said: "I'm delighted with the results from the Under 21 World Championship, which supports the clean Under 19 World Championship held in April 2004. It shows that the anti doping message is getting through to all the players of the sub-senior age groups.
"The IRB will continue to maintain its focus of both testing and educating with the under 19 and under 21 age groups regardless of the clean results in 2004, ensuring that the future of the game at this level is contested in a drug free environment".
